Café Landtmann facts for kids
Café Landtmann is a very old and famous coffee house in Vienna, Austria. It sits on the Ringstraße, a well-known street, at the corner of Lowelstraße 22 in the city's first district, called Innere Stadt.
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Where is Café Landtmann?
The café is on the ground floor of a building called the Palais Lieben-Auspitz. It's located close to many important places in Vienna. These include the Burgtheater (a famous theater), the University of Vienna, the Town Hall (where the city government works), and the Federal Chancellery (where the head of government works). Because of its great location, the café is a popular spot. Actors, politicians, government workers, and journalists often meet there. It's also a common place for press conferences.
The Story of Café Landtmann
Starting the Coffee House
Café Landtmann was opened by Franz Landtmann on October 1, 1873. Franz came from a family who knew a lot about coffee houses. They were also gingerbread bakers and made a type of coffee from figs. When the café first opened, it was right across from two big construction sites. These were for the new Town Hall and the new university. Next to the café were the old remains of a wall called Löwelbastei. The Burgtheater would later be built there.
New Owners and Famous Visitors
In 1881, Franz Landtmann sold his café to two brothers, Wilhelm and Rudolf Kerl. They kept the name Landtmann for the business. After Rudolf left, Wilhelm ran the café by himself. He became quite famous in Vienna. Many important people visited him regularly. These included the composer Gustav Mahler, the famous thinker Sigmund Freud, and the composer Emmerich Kálmán. In 1916, after running the café for 35 years, Wilhelm sold it to Karl Kraus. Karl was a former butcher and restaurant owner. He ran the café for five years with a company called Hokare Ges.m.b.H.
Big Changes and Renovations
In the fall of 1926, Konrad and Angela Zauner bought Café Landtmann. In 1929, they decided to make the coffee house bigger and completely new. They hired a famous architect and professor named Ernst Meller. He had designed many coffee houses in Vienna at that time. During this renovation, Café Landtmann got its amazing and fancy inside decorations. These beautiful details are still there today. This includes four wooden columns at the entrance, which were carved by Hans Scheibner.
After World War II, Konrad gave the café to his son, Erwin, to manage. Erwin ran it very well until 1976. Then, the Querfeld family bought the café.
Modern Times and Celebrations
Under the Querfeld family, Café Landtmann was fully renovated again in 1982. This cost a lot of money. It was renovated once more in 2001 and 2002. On October 1, 1998, Café Landtmann celebrated its 125th anniversary. The Querfeld family held a big party. Many famous people from Vienna's politics and culture came. Lots of regular customers were there too. In 2003, the café's well-known head waiter, Robert Böck, retired. He was known as "Herr Robert" and had worked there for 28 years.
A Place for Important People
Throughout its long history, Café Landtmann has been a meeting spot for many important people in Austria. These include leaders in business, politics, and art. It was the favorite coffee house of Sigmund Freud, Gustav Mahler, Peter Altenberg, Felix Salten, and Emmerich Kálmán. Café Landtmann is also mentioned in books. These include Poland by James A. Michener and The Morning Gift by Eva Ibbotson.
See also
In Spanish: Café Landtmann para niños
